The present invention relates to plant tags and particularly polymeric tags which can either be placed directly in the soil or attached to a pot.
There exists numerous plant tags or plant stakes made of a polymeric material and having a body which carries either a photograph of the plant and/or planting and care instructions for plants with which the tags are associated. Such tags typically include an end having a pointed tip for insertion into the soil of a pot for the plant and may include a reinforcing indentation to add stiffness to the relatively thin polymeric tag, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,410.
In recent years, plants have been sold at retail in relatively thin polymeric pots which include a slotted edge for receiving plant tags directly in the pot as opposed to in the soil. The movement of plants by the retailer sometimes results in lost tags, as does the handling of the plants by retail consumers. In order to prevent these problems, tags have been developed which interlock into slots formed in the edge of a pot, thereby preventing their easy removal. The construction of such tags and pots are represented by Australian Patent No. AU-B-52911/90, PCT publication WO 93/17412 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,107, which illustrate different approaches for interlocking tags to slots formed in the upper edge of a polymeric pot. These tags, although successfully locking the tag to the pot due in part to their design and the fact that they are relatively thin, are difficult to manually insert when installing such a tag to a pot.
More recently, tags for insertion into such pots have included opposed slots on the sides of a downwardly depending leg of the tag such that the tag can be forced into the slot of the pot and securely held in position during the organization and placing of the plants on display for sale and in subsequent handling during sale and transport.
Although such tags have their advantages, there remains a need for a dual functioning tag which can be either employed for insertion directly into the soil and which can also, with equal ability, be employed in connection with mounting directly to a slot within the pot such that the tag can be easily inserted and resist removal.
The tag of the present invention satisfies this need by providing a polymeric tag having a body and an integral downwardly extending insertion leg which is tapered to facilitate insertion either into the soil or into a slot formed in the edge of a pot. The downwardly extending leg includes a plurality of spaced indentations for strengthening the leg as well as a trapezoidal locking tab extending outwardly from the plane of the leg to permit easy insertion into either the soil or pot and resist removal therefrom.
Such tag construction provides an easier to employ tag by the use of the tapered locking tab in the insertion leg and one which has holding characteristics which prevent inadvertent removal of the tag during stocking of potted plants in a retail facility and the subsequent handling of the plants by customers.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.